Currency:

Seasonal Recipes

This Blog was very popular last year, after a few requests from our wonderful followers for Irish Christmas recipes. What better time to share it with you all again? Get your aprons on!

With the colder weather making an appearance and the Holiday Season upon us, I thought that I would share some Irish recipes that I found online with you to keep you warm and fed over the next little while!

Preparation:• Stir fry the beef• Add the vegetables and cook till tender• Then pour the GUINNESS® and reduce by half• Add the beef stock and herbs and simmer very slowly for between an hour and an hour and a half.

Serve with the champ potato and honey roast carrot and parsnip, preferably sitting by open fire listening to the sounds of the Emerald isle – bliss……….

Irish Christmas Cake

The cake tastes best when baked 1–3 weeks ahead of time. This traditional cake is served at holiday festivities throughout December. It is traditionally decorated with marzipan (almond paste), white icing, and holly sprigs.

Procedure1. The day before baking: Combine all the fruit, peel, rind and juice, spices, and nuts in a large bowl with ½ cup of the whiskey (or tea) and let soak overnight.2. The day of baking: Preheat oven to 275°F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan, lining the bottom with cooking parchment paper.3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.4. Beat the eggs in one at a time, adding flour with each egg.5. Mix in the remaining flour and soaked fruit.6. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and bake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 2 hours.7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. If substituting tea for whiskey, skip this step: Prick the top in several places and pour the remaining ½ cup whiskey over the top.8. Wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in a cool, dark place for several weeks to allow the cake to mature (fully absorb the flavours). The cake can be unwrapped occasionally and more whiskey added, if desired!

Irish Sconesmakes approximately 8-10 small scones(shared from thekitchn)

Preparation:• Preheat oven to 350° F. Place a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a Silpat in the oven.• Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture just holds together.• Working the mixture as little as possible, add 1/2 cup milk and mix until it forms into a soft, slightly sticky ball. Add more milk if needed to reach desired consistency.• Place the dough on a very lightly floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough to a 1-inch thick slab. Dip a 1-2-inch biscuit cutter in flour and cut out the individual scones, or slice the dough with a knife of the blade of a bench scraper.• Remove baking tray from the oven and arrange the scones on it. Bake 8 minutes, turn over, and bake another 4 minutes or until just barely brown.

If you have leftovers, reheat at 350°F for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through, or freeze by wrapping completely cooled scones in plastic wrap, then placing in a zippered bag or freezer-safe storage container. To reheat, thaw at room temperature in the plastic wrap, then unwrap and re-heat as above at 350° F.

DirectionsIn a preheated glass, pour the Bailey’s in. At this time you can add the sugar for a sweetened taste. Slowly add the freshly brewed coffee while continuously mixing the liquid. All of the sugar should be dissolved. With the back of a warm spoon, add the whip cream to the Irish coffee mixture. Be sure to not break the coffee’s surface with the whip cream. It is likely that this part of the Bailey’s Irish coffee recipe will take some time to hone this particular skill. And voila, there you have your very own first serving of a homemade Bailey’s Irish Coffee recipe.

So, I hope I have inspired you to do some cooking/baking this winter!? Enjoy!!